Of Trees and Birds in the Park...

It was a beautiful morning. The sky was blue with white patches of clouds all over, a good day to wander at the park. I drove the Honda to the Taman Tasik Hilir Park and after parking my car went to wander along the walking path just to enjoy the fresh air and perhaps do a little bit of photography. The activities at the public park are never the same. At time there would be many people jogging or just sitting around to while their time away. Sometime one see flowers blooming and at time one would see birds chirping from tree enjoying its morning meals.  Anyway it a good place to wonder along especially in the early part of the morning or evening before the sun set. The air is fresh and the atmosphere is cool. There is a large lake there with glittering water where one could see the reflection of the city skyline making it a great place to take picture of the city of Kuala Lumpur. I find the park peaceful and with my camera at hand always comeback with some great scene of the happening in the park. 

That day while sitting on the bench under the canopy tree I saw birds chirping from branch to branch. From a distance I managed to capture the scene of three birds helping itself to the many fruits from the tree there. 

As I was taking a lazy walk along the path I saw a lone tortoise perch on a rock near the bank of the lake. I took my camera and managed to get a good short of it enjoying the morning breeze. It is not always that one get to see the tortoise on dry-land like that. Most of the time it just disappeared into the water once alert by the sound of person approaching. This time using the telescopic lens I need not be near it thus I had managed to take a picture without disturbing it. 

As I had said earlier it never the same when one wander in the park. At time there are nothing unusual happens but if one is patience enough the reward in photography would be worth the wait. If we care to take our time and look of what nature had to offer we would be surprised to see thing that we did not expect like the canopy trees that I had snap from the place I was taking a rest. It such beautiful scenes that one would not have notice if one do not really look up. That day I did look up and awe with the wonder of this tall canopy tree giving shades to the smaller tree below it and at the same time allowing birds and insects  to enjoy itself high above undisturbed. 

Have a nice day.

The Bottle-Brush flower...

I had just bought a new Telescopic lens with could be converted into a Micro Lens with just a switch for doing Macro Photography. I did not know that it is possible to do macro photography with a telescopic lens not until a friend show me of how he managed to get a close-up of objects that is at a distance with his telescopic lens. I had been doing macro photography with my micro lens and the result always looks amazing. Using the Micro Lens one had to be close to the object. It is all right when taking the image of just the flowers but if one want to get the activities of insects with the flower it would not be that easy as the insect would normally fly away when one get close to it. With this new lens I could do Macro Photography from a distance. A few days ago I tried my new lens and shot some flowers from far away using the micro lens mode of the Telescopic lens and the result is as amazing. Above is an image of the Bottle-Brush flower that I had taken from a distance of some five metres away. The image shows the flower at close range with the insects enjoying it morning meal sucking nectar of the flower. 

Have a nice day.

Xplorer the Blogger...

Yes folks this Blogger name is xplorer and he blog here SUKA JALAN-JALAN; an active blogger indeed. He is indeed an explorer of sorts. He would take his family on an exploration trips all over the country and share the adventure in his Blog. He is an avid photographer and takes picture of his trip and shares that too. I have been following his Blog from the time I saw his first comment on my blog. Then I put a link on my blog so that I do not miss any of his posting. He is from the generation of my kids and writes well indeed. After reading his blog for years as usual with me I wanted to see the person in real life. I have done that even with stranger bloggers from the other part of the world too and met a few in real life when overseas.  So I wrote to him for a meeting and he give me a quick respond to my request. With that we met on Saturday May 4, 2013 a day before the 13th General Election. After a few exchange of email we decided that we could meet at the KL Sentral mall where both of us could get to with ease using the LRT. So on that day at 10.30AM we met. I had just arrived at the Sentral Station and went to the reception counter to ask where Starbucks is. And just as I was about to walk to it a stranger spoke to me saying he is the xplorer Blogger and that his name is Wan Hazizi. We shake hand and move to our destination the Starbucks. There ordered our coffee and found a nice table to sit and get acquaintance. This is the first time I know his name. All the time he is known as the xplorer to me. Since we both have time to while away we chat on many subjects that comes to minds. Among it I wanted to know of his trip to neighbouring Thailand where he took the train to places as far as Bangkok. He say that he had travelled to many places in Thailand using the Thai Railway which start its service from Penang in Malaysia. He says it is a good train to travel and the service is great as well. That it is safe to travel alone or with family using the Thai Railway. I had planned to do the same so this information became valuable so that whenever I do that trip I would be at ease and could enjoy that train ride. As usual with blogger we talk and talk as we move on while enjoying our coffee. Then we ask a youth who was sitting nearby to take a picture of both of us. Above is the image of our meeting at the Sentral Station that fine day. 

Have a nice day.

Of Cobbler Amirul from Penang...

For the last three days last week I kept going back to the GE Mall at Jalan Ampang to see the on-going Art and Craft Sale and Exhibition there. On arrival I notice the foyer of the mall was full of stalls selling all kind of handicraft from the one made by the OA [Aborigine] to the latest technique in Batik making, Ceramic jewellery, leather works and other crafts handmade by artisan from all over the country.

On the first day I went to just have a look without any intention of buying. Did a round of the exhibition and eventually stop at a stall manned by a young cobbler. It was interesting to see the young artisan doing his job on cowhide. He sells sandals and belts made of real cowhide which he had crafted himself. I ask him where he gets his supply of hide. He says that he got it from Pakistan and Medan in Indonesia. The next day I went there again and took along my branded leather belt which I had it cut and shorten a few years ago when I lost weight. I had since regain my normal weight and found that I could hardly use that belt; one of my favourite leather belt. I ask the cobbler Amirul as to whether he could find a way to lengthen it back to the original length. He said that he could but at that time did not have any extra material to do the extension. I ask him to try and left the belt with him while I went to have coffee at the Starbucks nearby. I whilst my time surfing the Net there and enjoy my coffee. I soon forgot about the belt and take my time in cyberspace. After an hour I decided to see whether the cobbler had found a solution to my belt. I was surprised that he did and it’s done.  With his expertise on leather and ingenuity he had extended my belt to the original length. He has done a creative job with it including polishing the whole belt giving it a new look just like a new one. I took a look and like it. Indeed very happy with the workmanship. I then paid him and went home happy.

At home I thought of doing an article on the activities of craftsman like him for my Blog and at the same time was thinking of asking the cobbler to take a look at my old leather sandals, a favourite shoe of mine to see whether he could replace the worn-out parts with a new layer of soft leader.  So wearing those sandals I again went to the Mall. On arrival at the ground floor of the mall I spend the first few hours taking picture of the exhibition for my article and then went to see the cobbler again. I sat on one of the chair and showed him my sandals while asking him whether he could repair or replaced the worn-out leather.  He said that he could and that it would take more than two hours to get the job done. I told him it would all right with me but I did not bring a spare sandal to wear while he repairs mine. He said not to worry while handing me a spare sandal to wear while he repair mine. I then hand him both my sandals.

Wearing the spare sandal went to have coffee at the Starbucks nearby. I got myself an end table sandwiched between three youth. I soon found that the one in front of me is a young doctor and the other two both students. Soon we got into talking on various subjects that comes to our minds. As usual when we are on a chat times passes by fast indeed. I look at my watch and found that I had been there more than an hour already. I decided to just go and have a look at what has happen to my sandals. I notice that one is ready and the cobbler is dong the other pair. I tried and found it well done and felt the comfort. I then move on to continue my coffee at another place at Starbucks and surfing the Net as well, without realising that I am wearing one of my own sandals on one foot and the borrowed one on the other.  After a while I went back to see whether my sandals are ready and saw him polishing one of it. He told me that I am wearing different sandals on both feet. I was surprised that I did that and just laugh it off. He says he wanted to have the other sandal to polish it as well. I sat there and watch him put a finishing touch to both my sandals. When all are done my old sandals now look new and it does make me happy.  I then paid him for a job well done and move on wearing my 'new' pair of sandals. Indeed an interesting and productive week at the mall.

Have a nice day.

[Please click on the image to enlarged]

The Magnificent Sun and the Moon...

I left Kuala Lumpur yesterday for a short break in my hometown of Kuantan. I had planned to go and watch the rising sun today while there. At just past 6.30AM this morning drove to the Teluk Cempedak beach and waited for the sun to rise. There are already may people there waiting for the sunrise and enjoying themselves in the cool morning. I was rather surprise to see many people especially the young already there. The last time I was at this beach there were not that many people at this early hours of the morning. The sun was expected to rise at the horizon at just past seven. Soon we saw the glow of amber as the sun makes its entrance announcing the beginning of another day, May 1, 2013. It was a magnificent sight to watch and wonder as it slowly rises above the horizon. This time using a telephoto lens I took many shots as it continues to rise; mesmerizing indeed. And then I look up and saw the moon too was there shinning bright in the morning sun, a rare opportunity indeed to be able to watch the rising sun and the moon at the same time. It was a blue sky thus I could see a clear three quarter moon up above. I took aim at it using the telephoto lens and got a few great picture of it before it disappeared as the sun rises. Above are the image of the sunrise and the moon as seen at just past seven this morning. Enjoy it folks much as I had enjoyed taking that photos. 

Have a nice day.